Sokoudjou vs Luiz Cane was a battle between two of the biggest hitting enigmas of the 205 division. From the bell for the first round it was obvious Cane had no answer to the Cameroonian’s cat-like speed and power as he surged forward throwing thundering body kicks and showing outstanding boxing (I’m doing all I can to describe Sokoudjou without using the word “explosive”). When Cane did come forward with punches the African slipped them expertly and landed his own. Hard to believe this was actually the perfect game plan for the Brazilian. All the while Cane had been blocking and absorbing the majority of strikes thrown by his over-muscled opponent, who was breathing heavily by the end of the first round. Cane began to find his range from then on and into the second round, stalking Sokoudjou into the cage and landing knees and left hands consistently while Sokoudjou backed up looking for a rest. With a minute left in the round and Sokoudjou’s corner screaming for him to take his opponent down, Cane landed a knee as his opponent ducked, followed by a right and the crushing left he had probed for the whole fight. The African crumpled to the floor and the ref stopped the fight as Cane followed up with a vicious barrage of accurate strikes. Very impressive by Cane but questions will arise whether Sokoudjou is tough enough to run with the big boys. He can out gun anyone for 3 minutes or so, but that will never be enough.
From here:
Sokoudjou – Cardio, cardio, cardio. Fatigue makes cowards of us all and that’s what happened tonight. A test against Eric Schafer or Tim Boetsch may be a good next step, or a battle with fellow human firework Houston Alexander for the fans.
Cane – Tough as teak! Cane appears very solid, powerful and durable. He looks one of those fighters who is built for war. Time for a step up against the big boys as he joins the pool of contenders. Vera, Boetsch, or Matt Hamill next.

Both men needed a win in the next contest between the inconsistent Keith Jardine and an off the boil Brandon Vera. Jardine came straight out and took Vera down from the offset, landing a few strong punches from the top and avoiding some weak submission attempts. After a few minutes of slow action the referee stood the fighters and they threw down with their fists. First Vera put Jardine on one knee with a right hand, and then Jardine returned the favor, following up with a takedown and some clobbering punches to stun Vera. At the start of the second frame Vera timed a push kick to Jardine’s thigh perfectly as he came forward, buckling and hyper extending the knee. Many fans have claimed this was unsportsmanlike, however in my view a fight’s a fight and this was a good technique. Although Jardine was clearly struggling with his leg, both men had some success on the feet, swarming in with punches and body kicks, with Jardine possibly slightly more able to evade attacks and engage on his terms. The third continued in much the same vein, apart from a short period where Jardine pinned Vera against the cage and slung hooks at him from behind. A very tough fight to score and both men will believe they didn’t fight to their potential, but Jardine deservedly won a split decision to move up the ranks. In the end perhaps it was just aggression, a few takedowns and a better strategy which won the day for “The Dean of Mean”.
From here:
Vera – Seems to be under performing given his talent. Perhaps use of his wrestling and top game to add a threat to his striking is an option. A loss against Jardine is not a disaster, but he may have lost contender status for now. Does he need to be this small to fight at 205 lbs, why not cut from 215-220lbs and keep the strength? Sokoudjou, Cane, Liddell, Hamill would all be good options for a next opponent
Jardine – This solid win should get him a shot at another contender and a title shot looms if he can get another big win or two with another perfect game plan. The winner of Thiago Silva vs Machida or Shogun Rua vs Coleman would be a great contender bout.